Scottish Executive

Cancer

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any increase in the rates of oesophageal cancers in males over the past 10 years and, if so, what plans it has to address such increases.

Susan Deacon: The incidence of oesophageal cancer in males in Scotland has risen over the last 10 years, from 13.0 per 100,000 in 1988 to 16.8 per 100,000 in 1997.

  Our National Health reaffirmed cancer as one of the top priorities for the NHSScotland. The Cancer Strategy for Scotland will set out a comprehensive range of measures designed to provide swifter, better diagnosis, treatment and care together with measures to help prevent cancer from occurring. The results from a CRAG-funded Scottish Audit of Gastric and Oesophageal Cancer will be available by the autumn and will inform further consideration of how best to organise services to improve outcomes for patients.

Community Care

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has conducted or plans to conduct an audit of respite facilities.

Malcolm Chisholm: We have not conducted a specific audit of respite facilities. However, our policies on a number of fronts emphasise the importance of improving the quality and availability of respite care (or short break services), including our Carers Strategy for Scotland, the Learning Disability Review, the work of the Joint Futures Unit and the package of measures to improve support to people at home announced in Susan Deacon’s statement of 5 October 2000. We have developed these policies in consultation with users of services and their carers, and their views and experiences of existing services have had a major influence on the directions we are taking. We will be monitoring closely the impact of these policies on short break services in Scotland.

Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the treatment of the £416,000 additional funding allocation to Scottish Borders Council complied with paragraph 5 of Circular 5/2000,  Pre-Budget Statement – Additional Financial Resources for Schools , given the £350,000 reduction made by the council to their schools budget earlier this year.

Mr Jack McConnell: I am still waiting for Scottish Borders Council to publish their allocations from the £416,000, which was designed to benefit all schools in the Borders.

Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the projected education overspend at Scottish Borders Council will have on the implementation of the National Grid for Learning in schools across the region.

Mr Jack McConnell: The detailed implementation of the National Grid for Learning is the responsibility of individual local authorities, working under a broad framework set out by the Scottish Executive. Scottish Borders Council is considering measures to address the deficit it has identified in its education budget. The Executive expects that the council will do all in its power to continue to provide a high quality of education in local schools and will proceed in a way which has the minimum impact on the education service experienced by pupils.

Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact of the cancellation of the National Grid for Learning cabling and computer requisition will be on the delivery of courses for pupils in the Scottish Borders.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils in the Scottish Borders region are to be removed from computer courses and transferred to courses in other departments as a result of the cancellation of the National Grid for Learning cabling and computer requisition.

Mr Jack McConnell: I understand that Scottish Borders Council is considering a range of measures to deal with the deficit identified in its education budget. Until this process is complete it will not be possible for the council to state for certain what the impact will be on any specific part of the education programme. The Executive expects that Scottish Borders Council will do everything it can to minimise the effect on pupils’ education.

Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities can vire monies from their annual National Grid for Learning allocation for other purposes and, if so, on what conditions.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the way in which funding given to local authorities under the National Grid for Learning programme is utilised.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether awards of National Grid for Learning funding are fully funded by it and, if not, what percentage of an award it funds.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive’s support to local authorities for the development of the National Grid for Learning (NGfL) comes through the Excellence Fund. Local authorities are all committing considerable amounts from their own resources to support NGfL developments. The extent of that contribution is a matter for local decision.

  Each authority is entitled to draw its share of the NGfL Excellence Fund programme provided that it has agreed with the Scottish Executive an Improvement Plan setting out how it will work towards the various objectives of the programme, including the target pupil:computer ratios. Money may be vired between Excellence Fund programmes subject to approval by the Scottish Executive.

  Money is drawn down twice a year, on certification by council officials that valid expenditure has taken place. Authorities are required to report annually on progress and to notify any significant change from their original Improvement Plans. The Scottish Executive also monitors progress on certain of the NGfL targets though the annual School Census.

European Funding

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what complaints it has received from applicant groups and organisations regarding any difficulties being experienced in using the spreadsheet-based electronic application form for assistance from European Structural Fund programmes.

Peter Peacock: Over 100 enquiries have been registered by applicants experiencing difficulty with the spreadsheet-based application form and these have been answered by a Scottish Executive helpline. Three official letters of complaint have been received, and replied to, about the use of Excel as the base for the form.

European Funding

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address on an urgent basis any problems being experienced by applicant groups and organisations in using the spreadsheet-based electronic application form for assistance from European Structural Fund programmes, in particular any problems caused by the computer memory capacity that the applications form requires, compared with the memory capacity that such groups have available.

Peter Peacock: We responded to the issues raised by setting up support centres around Scotland, together with a Scottish Executive telephone helpline, to assist applicants. The support centres were staffed by officers from the Programme Management Executives and the Scottish Executive and equipped with hardware and software for use by those applicants experiencing system difficulties. We also commissioned a study by the CCTA to look at the user friendliness of our computer systems more generally and will be considering the report’s recommendations over the next few months.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcome was of the consultation on the proposal to introduce a 20-day standstill period following movements of sheep and cattle and what changes will now be introduced.

Ross Finnie: 155 responses were received on the consultation in Scotland. The vast majority of these - over 95% - were critical, or rejected the proposals altogether. There was, however, widespread recognition in the responses that the status quo was not tenable and that action was required both to improve disease control and animal traceability. A number of variants on the proposals and alternatives to them were suggested.

  We have decided that measures in this area will need to be set in the context of a total approach to disease control. Further work is being carried out on the proposals and on the variants and alternatives. The aim is to introduce new arrangements to take over as existing controls are lifted.

  Copies of the consultation responses have been lodged with the Scottish Executive library, and with the Parliament’s reference centre.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to reverse the decision not to give nurses representation on the new unified NHS boards.

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reconsider its decision not to give nurses any representation on the new unified health boards.

Susan Deacon: Our policy is to ensure that all staff have the opportunity to contribute appropriately to decision making in NHS Scotland, without favouring one profession over another. That is why we are giving a stronger voice to local staff partnership forums and why we are asking NHS boards to carry out a major overhaul of their area professional advisory committees.

  As part of the new accountability review process, NHS boards will be required to demonstrate that they have involved the relevant professional committees appropriately in strategic and service development issues.

  In addition, we intend to strengthen the role of nurses and midwives in policy development by establishing a new national Nursing and Midwifery Forum, details of which will be discussed with the main professional, academic and staff representative bodies.

Local Government Finance

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance South Lanarkshire Council was sought under the Bellwin Scheme to meet the £900,000 costs incurred by the council due to the severe winter weather in February 2001 and why that application has been refused.

Angus MacKay: South Lanarkshire Council requested that the Scottish Executive trigger the Bellwin Scheme to help meet the costs arising from the heavy snowfall in late February. Their request is currently being considered. No application for grant has been made or refused.

Local Government Finance

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what payments under the Bellwin Scheme have been made since May 1999; what the exceptional circumstances and events were that led to each application; what the differences were between the sum applied for and the actual payments made, and how many applications were refused and for what reasons, all broken down by local authority.

Angus MacKay: Since May 1999, payments have been made to East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire Councils following the very high winds that swept across south-west and central Scotland on Boxing Day 1998. After agreeing eligible costs with both of the councils, and after deducting the relevant thresholds, East Ayrshire was granted £243,352 and South Lanarkshire was granted £234,652. City of Glasgow Council’s claim for the same incident was significantly less than the threshold amount, and no grant was therefore due.

Local Government Finance

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are applied before agreeing an application from a local authority for additional resources under the Bellwin Scheme.

Angus MacKay: The criteria used are detailed in Finance Circular 9/2000, a copy of which is held in the Parliament’s reference centre (Bib. no. 14385).

Modernising Government

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in the light of its consultation paper Modernising the Complaints System published in October 2000.

Angus MacKay: I have today published and laid before the Parliament a further consultation paper, A Modern Complaints System , which sets out detailed proposals for public sector Ombudsman arrangements in Scotland.

  Modernising the Complaints System sought views on a wide range of issues which needed to be addressed in framing the Act of the Scottish Parliament which will put in place modern public sector Ombudsman arrangements for Scotland. The ideas discussed in that paper received a very positive response from consultees. The detailed proposals set out in A Modern Complaints System are based on those responses. The responses to this second consultation paper will help to shape the Bill, which I will in due course introduce in this Parliament.

  Ministers remain committed to the promotion of modern government and high quality public services which are open, efficient, accountable and responsive to public need. To achieve this, it is essential that as broad a range of interests as possible is given the opportunity to respond to the consultation. Accordingly, this consultation paper, like the previous one, will be given a very wide distribution. It is also available on the Scottish Executive’s website.

  I will be writing to each MSP individually, enclosing a copy of the paper and encouraging them to let me have their views on this important subject. Copies of the paper are available from today in the Scottish Parliament’s reference centre.

Nursing

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what response it has given to the views of the Royal College of Nursing regarding recruitment drives targeted at countries with shortages of nurses and what action it plans to take to encourage NHS Trusts to reduce expenditure on overseas recruitment and increase it on the training of former nurses for re-entry into the profession.

Susan Deacon: I have just announced my intention to bring together nursing leaders and education providers for a "summit" on recruitment and retention.

  Recruitment of nurses is a matter for individual NHS Trusts to determine in the light of local workforce planning needs within the overall context of agreed national policy. Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change states that over the next five years 10,000 nurses and midwives will qualify in Scotland - 1,500 more than previously planned.

  We have no evidence of widescale recruitment by NHS Trusts in Scotland of nurses from overseas.

Nursing

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the review of NHS nursing grades to be completed.

Susan Deacon: This matter is being considered as part of the ongoing discussions involving all four UK Health Departments on Agenda for Change: Modernising the NHS Pay System  with key negotiations scheduled over the summer.

Pigs

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to ensure that farm workers and abattoir staff are not at risk from "pig meningitis".

Ross Finnie: The occupational zoonoses , published by the Health and Safety Executive, gives guidance on the prevention of this infection.

Rail Services

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to ScotRail that it should review the reduction in the number of carriages from four to two operating on the Glasgow to Mallaig rail route on the 12:42 train from Glasgow and the 16:08 train from Mallaig.

Sarah Boyack: This is an operational matter for ScotRail. If you wish details of the changes you may wish to contact ScotRail.

Road Accidents

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many accidents there were in each of the last seven years at the junctions of the A90 with (a) the A975 at Longhaven and (b) the unclassified Gask road at Longhaven.

Sarah Boyack: The number of accidents in each of the last seven years (1994-2000) at the junctions of the A90 with (a) the A975 at Longhaven and (b) the unclassified Gask road at Longhaven is as follows:

  A975 Junction

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Slight 
  

Total 
  



1994 
  

0 
  

0 
  

3 
  

3 
  



1995 
  

0 
  

0 
  

5 
  

5 
  



1996 
  

0 
  

0 
  

3 
  

3 
  



1997 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



1998 
  

0 
  

0 
  

2 
  

2 
  



1999 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  



2000 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Total 
  

0 
  

0 
  

14 
  

14 
  



  Gask road Junction

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Slight 
  

Total 
  



1994 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



1995 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



1996 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



1997 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  

2 
  



1998 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

1 
  



1999 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



2000 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Total 
  

0 
  

2 
  

1 
  

3

School Meals

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will invite the Food Standards Agency Scotland to consider the introduction of dye staining of all meat products used to produce school food.

Malcolm Chisholm: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that there are no plans to dye any meat products used to produce school food.

Schools

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take in light of the report by Audit Scotland, ‘A safer place’: revisited – A review of progress in property risk management in schools , to cut the financial impact on schools resulting from vandalism.

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take in light of the report by Audit Scotland, ‘A safer place’: revisited – A review of progress in property risk management in schools , to reverse the increase in malicious fire damage to schools across Scotland.

Mr Jack McConnell: Vandalism and fires in schools both cause disruption and distress to the pupils and staff affected by them and are matters of serious concern for the education service.

  The recommendations in this report are directed at the local authorities, who are responsible for the management of school premises in their areas. The report quantifies the scale of property related crime problems facing Scotland’s schools, and it is encouraging that Audit Scotland have found a significant reduction in the cost of school vandalism and fires compared with figures in 1995.

  Local authorities should find the report useful in reviewing the scope for further improvement.

Schools

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take in light of the report by Audit Scotland, ‘A safer place’: revisited – A review of progress in property risk management in schools , to increase the use of closed-circuit television in primary schools.

Mr Jack McConnell: School vandalism issues need to be considered on a local basis, and measures adopted which are appropriate to local circumstances. There is no single cause of school vandalism and, therefore, there can be no single solution. Education authorities will consider a range of measures appropriate to their assessment of the problem. The installation of closed circuit television is one of a number of such measures which education authorities and schools might consider appropriate in contributing to efforts to reduce the incidence of vandalism at particular schools.

Schools

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it plans to take in light of the report by Audit Scotland, ‘A safer place’: revisited – A review of progress in property risk management in schools , to ensure that more headteachers are involved in and consulted on decisions to improve local security and risk management in schools.

Mr Jack McConnell: The experience of school staff and, in particular, the headteacher is valued by authorities. The improvement framework contained in the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc (Scotland) Act 2000 offers an additional means through which the headteacher and school staff can take the lead in school improvement. School vandalism issues need to be considered on a local basis, and measures adopted which are appropriate to local circumstances. The principles of risk assessment and risk management are important factors in addressing them.

Skye Bridge

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what conditions regarding public liability insurance cover are contained in the contract with Skye Bridge Limited for the operation of the bridge.

Sarah Boyack: Under the terms of the Concession Agreement between Scottish ministers and Skye Bridge Limited, the bridge operator is required to effect and maintain appropriate insurance cover for a number of different risks, including third party liability. Details of the specific requirements and conditions set out in the agreement form part of the operating contract with the company.

Social Inclusion

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money from Scottish Executive or Scottish Office sources has been committed to the Wester Hailes area of Edinburgh in each year from 1997-98 to the current year, specifying the recipient organisation in each case.

Jackie Baillie: Information on Executive financial allocations is not generally attributable to specific neighbourhoods, but the available information about spending commitments specifically dedicated to Wester Hailes is as follows:

  


 


1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  



£ million 
  



Social Inclusion Partnership 
  

2.550 
  

1.614 
  

1.850 
  

1.850 
  

1.765 
  



New Housing Partnership Fund* 
  

0.388 
  

* 
  

* 
  

* 
  

* 
  



CCTV 
  

- 
  

- 
  

0.089 
  

- 
  

- 
  



  *Allocation for 1998-2002 was £9.273 million.

  The recipient organisations were as follows:

  City of Edinburgh Council (SIP Fund)

  City of Edinburgh Council/Scottish Homes (NHP Fund)

  Wester Hailes Partnership (CCTV)

Social Inclusion

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money from Scottish Executive or Scottish Office sources has been committed to the Pilton/Muirhouse area of Edinburgh in each year from 1997-98 to the current year, specifying the recipient organisation in each case.

Jackie Baillie: Information on Executive financial allocations is not generally attributable to specific neighbourhoods, but available information about spending commitments which include Pilton and/or those specifically dedicated to Muirhouse is as follows:

  


 


1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  



£ million 
  



Social Inclusion Partnership Fund 
  

2.453 
  

3.111 
  

2.877 
  

2.685 
  

2.544 
  



New Housing Partnership Fund* 
  

0.170 
  

* 
  

* 
  

* 
  

* 
  



CCTV 
  

- 
  

- 
  

0.048 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Community Safety 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

0.055 
  

- 
  



Empty Homes Initiative 
  

- 
  

0.300 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



  *Allocation for 1998-2002 was £4.052 million.

  The recipient organisations were as follows:

  City of Edinburgh Council (SIP Fund)

  City of Edinburgh Council/Scottish Homes (NHP Fund)

  City of Edinburgh Council (CCTV)

  City of Edinburgh Council (Community Safety)

  City of Edinburgh Council (Empty Homes Initiative)

  The SIP Fund allocations are attributable to the North Edinburgh SIP. The Annual Report of this and other SIPs is now available in the Parliament’s reference centre and these contain details of allocations or spend.

Special Educational Needs

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what duties, within its social justice policy, are required of local authorities with regard to the provision of mainstream education for children with disabilities.

Nicol Stephen: Duties imposed on education authorities for the provision of mainstream education for children with disabilities stem from education legislation, in particular the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and the Standards in Scotland’s Schools Etc Act 2000. When commenced, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2000 will place additional duties on local authorities with regard to equality of opportunity for disabled pupils. The duty to plan to increase access for disabled pupils does not apply to Scotland. Ministers are considering how best to apply a similar duty here.

Sport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to publicise Scotland’s bid for the 2009 Ryder Cup; when the bid’s official website was created, and how often it is updated.

Allan Wilson: We continue to promote Scotland’s Ryder Cup bid at a range of golf, media and tourism events together with our bid partners in the public and commercial sectors. Recent events have included a media reception promoting our prospective venues hosted by Bank of Scotland (4 June) and a television advertising campaign run by VisitScotland during the US Open Golf Championships. We have a number of events planned to take place over the summer at major golf tournaments in Scotland and Europe.

  The website was created in August 2000. It is currently being redesigned and is expected to be back online shortly.

Sport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to ensure that the WPGA International Matchplay event scheduled to take place at Gleneagles in September 2001 will not be postponed owing to a lack of funding given this event’s importance in relation to Scotland’s bid for the 2009 Ryder Cup.

Allan Wilson: Positive discussions have been held and I hope to make an announcement about this event shortly.

Training

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what input it made to the review by the Department of Trade and Industry of National Training Organisations and whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of any written evidence which it submitted.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The consultation exercise on the future structure of the National Training Organisation network was conducted jointly by the Lifelong Learning Ministers in the Department for Education and Employment (now Department for Education and Skills) and the three devolved administrations. The intention is that the analysis of the responses to the consultation and an outline framework on the proposed way forward, will be published jointly by the Lifelong Learning Ministers.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources it has received or will receive as a consequence of the £100 million modernisation fund for the road haulage industry announced in the Pre-Budget Report in November 2000; whether it proposes to use any such consequential resources for modernising the road haulage industry in Scotland; if so, how much will be allocated for this purpose, and whether it intends to consult the industry on proposals for a Scottish modernisation strategy.

Sarah Boyack: The details of the fund announced in the Pre Budget Report related to proposals to take effect in England. Most of the subject areas concerned are, in a Scottish context, devolved and Scottish ministers will carefully consider the need for equivalent measures to be introduced here and the resources needed to implement measures decided upon, taking account of views expressed by the Scottish road haulage industry.

Vaccines

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been or will be taken by each health board to ensure that BCG vaccination of all (a) S2, (b) S3 and (c) S4 schoolchildren is resumed (i) by June 2001 or (ii) by the autumn term of 2001.

Malcolm Chisholm: Susan Deacon’s letter of 26 June to Mrs Ewing provided the most up-to-date details on the restart of the BCG programme in Scotland.